Parsippany-Troy East is one step closer to living every baseball-playing child’s dream.

With a 9-4 victory over Nottingham last night in Pompton Plains, the Morris County team advanced to Bristol, Conn., to play in the Mid-Atlantic Regional Tournament. If it wins the regional, which is comprised of teams representing five states up and down the East Coast and Washington, D.C., the next trip will be to Williamsport, Pa., for the Little League World Series.

“Every year we got further than the year before,” their coach, Mike Ruggiero, said amid high fives, hugs and jubilant celebration on the field. “That’s really cool. At 10 (years old), we had a hiccup in sections. At 11, we got all the way to the states. At 12, we’re all the way to states and now we get to go to Bristol. This is the year, if you ever want to win states, this is the year, obviously, because next year it stops. It’s not sinking in yet but it’s awesome.”

Yet, as of 7 p.m. yesterday — before the natural light had faded and the illumination from several high-rising stanchions took over — that reality was still many daydreams away.

Par-Troy East came into the championship round of this state tournament with its back against the wall. Nottingham had beaten its first two opponents 18-0 while awaiting for a foe to emerge from the elimination bracket. It needed just one win to advance to Bristol or two defeats to squander the opportunity. It was Par-Troy East that came forward and then defeated them 4-3 Monday night to set up a winner-take-all game.

Their second-life was still a tenuous one until a second chance in the deciding inning.

With the score tied 3-3 in the bottom of the third inning and Daniel Ruggiero on first base, Bener Uygun stood at the plate. The team’s third-place hitter and masher, he fouled a ball back behind the plate – sending a pop up floating towards the fence only a dozen or so feet away. But the ball escaped the grasp of the Nottingham catcher, Mike Adams, as it tailed away ever so slightly and causing the ball to pop in and out of his glove.

On the very next pitch, Uygun walloped a pitch that rocketed out over the left field fence. Par-Troy East took a 5-3 lead and then added another run later in the inning. They would score thrice more, one run in the fourth and two in the fifth – ensuring a lead they would not relinquish.

“It was the funnest thing ever,” Uygun said. “That’s what I always love to do – hit home runs. In this type of game, it’s a really good feeling.”

After the final out – a meek groundout to second base – the boys collapsed into a large heap halfway up the first base line, their red jersey coated in infield dirt. On Friday, they will face New York, but at that moment they were still enjoying the journey there.